


Alt, Control, Repeat

by FountainPen



Category: Paranatural (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universes, Angst, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Other Characters Are Mentioned, Portals, a good helping of it, alt ed is normal, alt isaac has a trench coat, alt izzy is a coward but we still stan, alt johnny is a freaking nerd, alt max is a sad sad little boy okay, everyone is mean to alt max in his universe, he has so many feelings, he just wants some friends, max is done with everything everywhere, richard and mina have to adult, they're both terrible at this, wlw and mlm solidarity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2019-07-13 02:40:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16008578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FountainPen/pseuds/FountainPen
Summary: When an alternate version of the Activity Club lands in Mayview, it's up to Mr. Spender and Dr. Zarei to wrangle the ten kids and get the five that don't belong back to their universe.updates Sundays!





	1. Reverse, Reverse

Max was something of an adventurous person. Flipping and jumping from tall things required the ability to handle a fair amount of adrenaline. Adventurousness did not equate to brashness, though. Which is why Max was the one holding Ed back from poking the swirling vortex that appeared in the woods and was flashing different colors.

 

“Learn to live a little Max!” Ed exclaimed after he’d resigned himself to tossing rocks near the portal.

 

“You can’t learn to live if you’re not, you know, alive,” Max replied, shooting a text to Izzy, Isaac, and Johnny. “Which is why we’re not touching whatever the flip that is.”

 

“You are the worst.”

 

“Yeah well, the others are en route, so we can fight this or whatever the procedure is for possible gateways to hell,” Max said, and as he did, the aforementioned vortex began to hum like a radio losing its signal. “I feel like that’s not good.” Ed’s hand was on his paintbrush, and Max drew his bat slowly.

 

Max had given up on the notion that one day, he wouldn’t be surprised by anything, because everytime that idea took hold, that he’d seen everything, something new came along and scared the flip out of him. This was no exception because the buzzing static got louder and louder. Just as the other three members of the activity club came into the clearing, five figures stumbled out of the portal like they were drop kicked through it. The portal closed with a hiss.

 

“Max what did you do?” Izzy asked.

 

“I didn’t do anything!” Two voices said defensively. Sitting on the ground in a heap with the other people, Max sat up and stared right at Max.

 

“What the actual heck?” Max- the one standing shrieked.

 

“Y’could say that again,” Johnny muttered. A boy that looked strikingly similar to him rubbed his head- a headful of bleach blonde hair, and dusted off his student council uniform.

 

“Isabel get the hell off of me!” Isaac shouted.

 

“ _ What the heck what the heck what the heck-”  _ Max muttered as the  _ other  _ Max stood up and adjusted his white hoodie.

 

“Max, what’s going on?” Max’s Isaac whispered. Max just shrugged, eyes never leaving the carbon copy of himself.

 

“If I see a single pair of button eyes I’m gonna lose it,” Max said. The other Isabel stood up, and the two Isabels began to circle each other. The other Ed looked ready to cry when their Ed took a step toward him, and Johnny was already threatening blonde Johnny, who was shaking out of his skin. Other Isaac glared at everyone, arms over his chest.

 

“Hi!” Max- the other Max, that is, said. “You sure do look familiar!”

 

“That’s it, I’m done, I’m done with this town, done with ghosts, and done with whatever the hell this is!” The other Ed shrieked. Ed was poking him in the face.

 

“Aw, Ed, don’t be such a downer!” White hoodie Max exclaimed, way too cheerful for Max’s voice. “Think of this as an opportunity to make some new friends!”

 

“You sure could use some friends.” Other Isaac snapped.

 

“He’s just teasing.” Cheerful Max said in a way that sounded more like he was reassuring himself than anyone else.

 

“This is too weird.” The Isabels said in unison.

 

“I’m going to beat him up now,” Johnny said, pointing at the blonde version of himself.

 

“Johnny, that is literally you.” Isaac huffed.

 

“I know that, but he’s a nerd.” 

 

“Okay!”  Max shouted, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Everyone needs to shut up, like, right now, so we can figure this out.”

 

“Who put you in charge?” Other Isaac asked moodily.

 

“Me! I put me in charge, now shut it.” Max exclaimed. “Who are you, and where did you come from? One at a time, please.”

 

“My name’s Max! I’m from Baxborough, but I moved to Mayview a few months ago!” The Max in the white hoodie said excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he spoke.

 

“I’m Ed, I’m from Mayview, and I would really love to wake up now.”

 

“I’m Isabel, I’m from Mayview, and Ed needs to shut up,” Isabel said. Her hair was a lot shorter than their Isabel’s, and her voice shook a bit as she spoke.

 

“I’m uh, I’m Johnny. I don’t um... know what’s going on, but that guy scares me a lot.” Blonde Johnny said, pointing at their Johnny. The other Isaac didn’t say anything, only adjusted his collar on his- 

 

“Is that a  _ trench coat _ ?”

 

“What’s it to you?” Other Isaac snapped at Max.

 

“It’s June,” Max said with an eyebrow raised. “Also trench coats are super dumb.”

 

“Wanna say that to my face?”

 

“I just did- we’re not doing this right now. I’ll make fun of Isaacs later.” Max shook his head.

 

“Okay other us’s,” Isabel said. “How did you get here?”

 

“Oh! We were on our way to Isabel’s grandpa’s dojo, and this weird glowy thing opened up beneath us, and now we’re here!” Other Max said,  acting out what happened as he spoke.

 

“Max seeing you anywhere near cheerful is absolutely terrifying,” Ed said.

 

“Take a walk through my head,” Max replied.

 

“We need to figure out how to fix this.” Blonde Johnny said. “I have a student council meeting tomorrow morning!”

 

“Oh my god, I wanna punch you so bad,” Johnny whined.

 

“Please no?”

 

“We need to talk to Mr. Spender,” Izzy said.

 

“How’re we supposed to get them outta here without everyone in town going totally bananas?” Ed asked.

 

“We could always just, you know, call him,” Isaac said, pulling out his phone. As Isaac spoke to Mr. Spender, the other Max bounded over to where Johnny was pacing irritably.

 

“Hi! You’re Johnny, right?”

 

“Uh- yeah?”

 

“Cool! I’m Max!” Other Max said in his very un-Max manner. “You’re a lot different than our Johnny, but it’s cool, you remind me of Cody, but between you and me, you seem a little bit nicer.”

 

“What’s yer Cody like?”

 

“Well, uh, he can be a bit mean sometimes… actually, most of the time- but I’m sure it's just because he’s got stuff going on! No harm no… A  _ little _ harm no foul.” Other Max grinned up at Johnny nervously.

 

“You’re way different from my Max.”   
  


“Tell me about him, he seems kinda sad.”

 

“Uh well, he’s real good at parkour n’ stuff,” Johnny said, rubbing his neck. “He’s definitely snarkier than you.”

 

“Neat! I’ve always wanted to do parkour and stuff, but I’m way too clumsy for it. Do you think he likes me?”

 

“Maybe. It takes a little for Mux ta warm up t’someone.” Johnny said.

 

“That’s okay! I’ve been with the Activity club for at least 9 months and they’re still getting used to me.” Johnny frowned at what Other Max said, it didn’t sound right to him. How could those nerds not be all over this little puffball?

 

“Alright guys, Mr. Spender is on his way,” Isaac said. “Meaning we have 15 minutes to kill and a hundred questions to ask.”

 

“Why’re you such a dweeb?” Other Isaac asked.

 

“Okay Trench coat, you’re in time out,” Max said before things could escalate. “Next.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Time out-ers don’t get questions.”

 

“You’re us?” Other Ed asked.

 

“I’m Ed,” Ed said.

 

“That brings up how we’re going to address each other,” Izzy said. “We’re gonna need to use names eventually.”

  
“I’m not changing my name.” Other Ed said.

 

“You don’t have to-” Isaac started

 

“I ain’t changin’ mine either!” Johnny interjected loudly.

 

“No one’s changing their name,” Max said. “Just adding a prefix or something.”

 

“What’s a prefix?”

 

“Really?” Other-Johnny asked incredulously, staring at his counterpart.

 

“Okay, everyone who’s not from… everyone who just fell through the glowy thing.” Isabel said. “You’re gonna be Alt you.”

 

“Huh?” Other Ed asked.

 

“Like, you’re Alt Ed.” Isabel shrugged. “Alternate Ed.”

  
“I don’t like it.” Alt Isaac said.

 

“Too bad.” Isaac shrugged.

 

“If you’re wearing a trench coat then you’re not allowed to participate in the rulemaking,” Max said, enjoying the peeved glare Alt Isaac shot his way before noticing Alt Izzy’s raised hand.

 

“Uh- does that rule um… does it apply to paper trench coats? Because Eightfold says it makes me look cool, and I’m scared of her, so I do what she wants.” Max considered that sentence and chose to ignore the weirdness that was Isabel being openly afraid of eightfold, or anything for that matter.

 

“If you have orange anime hair and you wear a trench coat.”

 

“What did I even do?” Alt Isaac asked angrily. The Johnny’s were talking now, which was dangerous on its own, but then the Ed’s began to join in the conversation with them.

 

“Nothing, it’s just funny.”

 

“I don’t know how things work around here, punk, but I like you better as a pushover.” Alt Isaac snarled and whirled around, stomping to a tree and leaning on it. Max glanced at the other him, who’s hands were balled into little fists at his sides as he plastered a smile onto his face.

 

“You’ll have to get used to Isaac, he can get a little upset sometimes.” Alt Max said before the weird hopeful little sparkle returned to his eyes. “But did you hear that? He said he likes me!”

 

“I’m not sure if...” Max trailed off. Talking to the guy was like talking to PJ, you couldn’t crush him like that without feeling terrible.

 

“Mr. Spender’s at the edge of the woods guys,” Isaac said. The ten spectrals started toward possible help.


	2. Little Talks

Mr. Spender almost fainted upon seeing them. Alt Max was asking a million questions a second while Alt Isabel cowered behind herself.

 

“What did you  _ do _ ?”

 

“Nothing! They fell through a weird glowing portal in the woods!” Ed said.

 

“I need a Tylenol.” Mr. Spender muttered.

 

“Mr. Spender! Mr. Spender!” Alt Max said, bouncing around like a puppy. It was really hard to tell that it was Max at all at the moment.

 

“Ah, yes… Max?”

 

“Alt Max.” Isaac supplied.

 

“Alright then, Alt Max?”

 

“Where’s your reading glasses? Why’s your car red and not black? What-”

 

“Alright children, let’s… Well, this is going to be a bit of a tight squeeze.” Mr. Spender grimaced.

 

“I call not sitting next to Max- either of them.” Alt Isaac said, and both Alt Izzy and Ed groaned before turning to glare at each other. Alt Max’s smile wavered for a moment.

 

“Why doesn’t everyone just sit with themselves?” Ed asked.

 

“I fear that if I sit next  to my counterpart I will be physically harmed.” Alt Johnny said as he glanced at Johnny, nervousness all over his face.

 

“Pick a partner then?” Izzy suggested and was immediately latched onto by Alt Izzy.

 

Alt Max turned to Alt Isaac, who in turn glared sharply back at him. Alt Max then tried Isaac, who offered a sympathetic smile and a nod. Once again the smile jumped back into Alt Max and he bounded over to Isaac, albeit more cautiously than he had approached Johnny or Max. Johnny stared down Alt Isaac, who stared right back, Ed and Ed opted to sit together, leaving Max with Alt Johnny.

 

“So uh- Isaac, right?” Alt Max asked, fiddling nervously with his hoodie strings.

 

“That’s me,” Isaac replied. “You’re Alt Max.”

 

“Um, yeah.”

 

“What’s wrong?” Isaac asked. A moment ago Alt Max had been so… bouncy. 

 

“Oh- nothing, my Isaac just doesn’t like when I’m loud.” Max shrugged before clambering into the car.

 

“Yeah well, it’s fine with me,” Isaac said. “Like, seeing Max as something other than cynical is weird but you’re fun!”

 

“You really think so?”

 

“Totally!” Isaac said earnestly while his friends and doppelganger crammed themselves into the small car. “Why wouldn’t I?”

 

Izzy and Ed snickered as Alt Max threw his arms around Isaac excitedly, and Mr. Spender pulled the car back onto the road.

 

“So where are we heading?” Alt Ed asked.

 

“Dr. Zarei should be able to help.” Mr. Spender said. “Hopefully.”

 

* * *

 

Dr. Zarei managed to keep a level head when faced with the five kids and their doppelgängers, pulling Spender aside and asking him what the hell he’d done, one of her colleagues had noticed an energy pulse in the woods but nothing to this scale.

 

“I had no part in this.” Mr. Spender confesses. “I got a call from Isaac asking to come and pick them up, and found them like that.”

 

“And how do you suggest we handle this?” Mina asked. “We don’t even know where they came from, much less how to get them back!”

 

“That’s why I came!” Spender replied. 

 

“Is your Spender always this dramatic?” Alt Johnny whispered to Max.

 

“Yes.”

 

“How unfortunate.”

 

“You get used to it after a month or two.” Max shrugged. “Don’t think I’ll ever get used to our you though.”

 

“Why is he so violent?”

 

“Dunno, it’s just how he is.” Max paused. “It’s not necessarily a bad thing, though.”

 

“How is violence ever useful?”   
  


“It helps when some high schoolers decide to try and shoplift. Also when you fall from tall things a lot.”

 

“You’re very different from the Max I know.”

 

“Same to you, but about the Johnny, I know.”

 

“Why do you hang around him though?” Alt Johnny pressed. “It seems like the cons outweigh the pros.”   
  
“That’s not really fair… Johnny’s a little rough around the edges, but if he gets to know you he’s in your corner no matter what.” Max said.

 

“Hm.”

 

* * *

 

“So you and Alt Ed hate each other!?” Isabel asked her alternate self. 

 

“You and your Ed don’t?”

 

“Of course not! Ed’s my best friend, my right-hand man, how could he not be?”   
  


“He’s so boring!”

 

“My Ed ate a bucket of paint once-”

 

“ _ What!? _ ”

 

“But your Ed can’t be so bad, why not try an makeup?”

 

“...Maybe, but he probably won’t want to, we’ve been at each other’s throats for years.” Alt Isabel sighed.

 

“It’s worth a shot.”


	3. Bedtime Story

“No, absolutely not.” Dr. Zarei said.

 

“Where else are they supposed to stay?” Mr. Spender asked. “They’d hardly fit in my home, and the camp is open to consortium agents, which technically includes these students!”

 

“They aren’t even your students, Richard.”

 

“They’re young spectrals of Mayview!”

 

“Not  _ our  _ Mayview! How would I explain any of that to the others?” Mina asked, gesturing at the car with the kids who were absolutely listening in.

 

“What do you suggest we do with them!?” Rick exclaimed.

 

“I… I don’t know.” Dr. Zarei sighed exhaustedly. “But I do know it’s not safe for them there.”

 

“The dojo could be just as dangerous, imagine master Guerra’s face if he saw doubles of Isabel and Ed.”

 

“You could ask for  _ our _ input you know,” Max said from the car.

 

“Do you have any ideas, Maxwell?” Mr. Spender asked patiently.

 

“No.”

 

“Max!” Izzy said, shoving Max. Max shoved back.

 

“I think I have an idea?” Isaac said while Izzy and Max continued to antagonize one another. “I mean- my parents are on a business trip so my house is empty, and it’s a long weekend so we could all go over there.”

 

“Sleepover!” Alt Max cheered.

 

“That’s a wonderful idea, Isaac!” Mr. Spender exclaimed, looking at Dr. Zarei for confirmation. Isaac flushed, and Alt-Isaac rolled his eyes.

 

“I suppose that would work. If we can get them back before Isaac’s parents return.” Mina relented, earning cheers from the students.

 

“Can we order pizza?” Both Eds asked, and Mina grimaced.

 

“We have to feed ten middle schoolers.”

 

“Good god.”

 

* * *

 

“And then I tell th’guy, 'no way yer gonna get Ollie t’cave’, and then Stephen does it, and Ollie lets us use him as a sled,” Johnny said, the circle of kids varying degrees of disinterested and enraptured, but a dazed Mr. Spender wandered into the room and interrupted the storytelling.

 

“What are you kids still doing up? It’s two in the morning!” Mr. Spender yawned “Go to bed.”

 

“Ten more minutes?” Isaac asked.

 

“Ten more minutes, but that’s it.” Mr. Spender said and wandered back out of the room.

 

“...Was he still wearing his sunglasses?” Alt Johnny asked, earning laughs from the sleep-deprived kids.

 

“My turn for story time.” Alt Isaac announced, grinning.

 

“Please tell me it involves the backstory for your trench coat.” max said sleepily.

 

“Can it, loser.”

 

“Nice one.”

 

“Anyway, my story is about the man on the porch...”

 

“Nooo!” Alt Max whined. “I hate this story!”

 

“I know.” Alt Isaac replied with an apathetic shrug. “Shut up.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“So, there once was a boy, and all he did was talk. He talked so much, that all of his friends eventually got tired of him. He still talked though, just to himself instead of other people.” Alt Isaac began, an ominous tone slipping into his voice. Alt Max whimpered, knowing where the story was headed. “Every day on his way home from school, he passed a man. The man sat on his porch in his rocking chair, listening as the boy blabbered on to himself. The boy never saw the man’s face though, because his head was always turned away.”

 

“This is dumb.” Alt Izzy interrupted nervously.

 

“Shh!” Alt Ed whispered.

 

“The boy came to think of the man as his only friend because even though the man had never spoken to him, he always there to listen to the boy.” Alt Isaac continued. “And one day, after the boy had already gone home and eaten dinner alone, like always, the boy mustered up the courage to pay the man a visit.

 

“He walked to the man’s house as the sunset. It was dark by the time the boy got there. And when he got to the porch, the man was there, like always. The boy climbed up the rickety stairs to the porch, noticing for the first time how run down and abandoned the man’s house seemed. Then, the boy noticed the smell.”

 

Alt Max looked ready to cry, clutching the Bulbasaur plush Isaac had let him borrow tightly to his chest as he shook with fear.

 

“Dude, stop, yer scarin’im,” Johnny said to Alt Isaac, who just shrugged again.

 

“He’s heard this story before, he’ll be fine.” Alt Isaac replied. “It smelled like rotting meat, it was the worst thing the boy had ever smelled in his entire life. Still, he approached the man, but he didn’t turn around. The boy spoke, trying to get the man’s attention, but he didn’t turn around. The boy was crushed, thinking the man had never been listening at all.

 

“The boy reached out, and placed a hand on the man’s shoulder, and was horrified when the rotted limb broke off and fell to the ground. The boy walked around to see the man’s face and saw his eyes rotted out of his head, and his mouth messily sewn shut. The boy had been walking past the dead man every day and hadn’t known it. But that wasn’t the worst part; inside the house, the boy heard footsteps and shuffling. Muffled whispers from under the door. The people who had killed the man were still inside the house.”

 

“Isaac-” Alt Max began but was cut off.

 

“Suddenly, the door swung open, and the boy was frozen with fear. The person standing there had a pig’s hollowed out head as a mask. Before the boy could move, they grabbed him and pulled him inside. Maxwell Puckett... was never... seen...  _ again! _ .”

 

“ _ Dude _ !” Isaac exclaimed angrily. Alt Max’s eyes were screwed tight and he was clinging to Isaac, shaking like a leaf. “That was so unnecessary!”

 

“It’s just a story.” Alt Isaac said.

 

“It was pretty uncool, man,” Ed said, noting that Alt Ed, Alt Izzy, and Alt Johnny hadn’t said anything.

 

“It’s- it’s fine!” Alt Max said after having let go of Isaac. “He’s just teasing- it’s okay!”

 

“No, I was no-“

 

“Bed, kids!” Spender called from the other room. The spectrals said their good nights, and each settled into the sleeping bags on the floor.


	4. Making Progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izzy talks with alt Max, breakfast is had, and interdimensional sciences are discussed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, I know this fic hasn't been updated in forever, but with summer rolling around I hope to be able to write more because I genuinely love writing these characters and I am NOT ready to stop writing it in the slightest. What kind of monster would abandon alt Max goddamnit

It was nearly four a.m. when Isabel woke up, the nightmare of a man with his mouth sewed shut fresh in her mind. Izzy blinked the image away and glanced around the darkened living room. The dumb story Alt Isaac had told had shaken her, so Isabel could only imagine what kind of a state Alt Max was in.

 

A quick scan of the group revealed that Alt Max was nowhere to be seen, his spot on the floor abandoned. Izzy stood carefully, stepping over a few sleeping kids (maybe ‘accidentally’ stepping on Alt Isaac’s feet).

 

Isabel wandered as quietly as she could through the house and found him sitting in a window seat on the second floor, staring glumly out at Isaac’s backyard. 

 

“Uh… Hey.” Isabel said, and Alt Max jumped. “You alright?”

 

“Oh, I’m doin’ dandy!” Alt Max said. “Just worried about my sister, my dad works a ton so there’s no one home to keep an eye on her… How about you?”

 

“Couldn’t sleep. How many times have you heard that story?”

 

“Oh, it doesn’t matter, it’s just a story.” Alt Max laughed. “It’s nothing.”

 

“I feel like we all collectively forget we’re twelve sometimes,” Izzy replied. “You were scared.”

“That was the second time, but it’s okay! He was just teasing!”

 

“He scared everyone.”

 

“I didn’t think you could get scared, you’re super cool. Like Superman,” Alt Max said earnestly.

 

“No way, I get scared all the time,” Isabel said, climbing onto the window seat next to Alt Max. “ I woke up because the dumb story gave me a nightmare.”

 

“After so much time of dealing with ghosts, you’d think we’d be less scared of dead things.” Alt Max said, sounding eerily like Isabel’s Max for a moment

 

“Do you like hanging out with your Activity Club?”

 

“Well, sometimes. I like talking to the spirits and stuff.”

 

“That it? You guys never go to the diner or play hide and seek in the woods?”   
  


“Not really… Ed and Isabel don’t get along, and Isaac keeps to himself. I don’t think Johnny ever really got know me, and Dimitri kinda scares me.”

 

“Well, what do you like to do?” Isabel asked. Alt Max looked up at her.

 

“I dunno. I like animals, and spirits are like, advanced animals that can talk, so it’s fun to hang out with them.”

 

“I know a couple of cool ones… My spirit partner- my old one anyway, she was the greatest.”

 

“Eightfold right?” Alt Max asked. “I think she’s cool, but Isabel was terrified of her.”

 

“Really? She’s like, so small though.” Izzy laughed. “She really was cool.”

 

“I know! I think she’s awesome once you get past the constant death threats. She was actually a pretty good dancer.” Alt Max smiled. It was a genuine one, Izzy could tell.

 

“Wanna go get some string cheese?”

 

“Sure.” Alt Max and Isabel hopped off of the window sill and crept into the kitchen. Alt Johnny darted behind the corner, brow furrowed as he wandered back toward the living room.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, the kids were woken up by Dr. Zarei informing them  _ way  _ too loudly that breakfast was ready. The disgruntled tweens filed into the kitchen and shoveled food onto their plates. 

 

“We need to discuss how exactly we plan to return you five to your own dimension, and whether or not just being there would have negative effects on the doubles.” The doctor announced. “The rift was opened by an energy surge on this side, but my theory is that energy surge of equal and opposite power occurred, and by recreating the sequence that causes the dimensional implosion-”

 

“You know we’re all middle schoolers right?” Max asked from the other side of the table. “And it’s like six a.m.”

 

“Yeah, I think other Johnny is asleep in his cereal,” Ed added.

 

“No I’m awake, I was just really hoping this was a  sugar-induced nightmare.” Alt Johnny groaned. “Hey, Max- my Max, D’you wanna sit with me?” Alt Max grinned and took his seat next to Alt Johnny, and grabbed the both of them a waffle.

 

“If I wasn’t so tired I’d punch yer nerd face.” Johnny yawned.

 

“What was that about negative effects?” Alt Isaac asked.

 

“Hey, wait,” Alt Izzy said suddenly. “What if it was a spirit that did it?”

 

“If there were a spirit with interdimensional capabilities, I believe that it would have been found by now.” Dr. Zarei replied.

 

“What if it came from where we’re from?” Alt Ed suggested.

 

“That could be part of it,” Mr. Spender said as he walked into Isaac’s kitchen. “But what if there was a spirit that originated somewhere in between? It could be powerful enough to punch a hole into the quote-unquote walls of our reality.”

 

“This is all above my paygrade,” Zarei muttered. “How would a spirit form in the literal void though?” 

 

“The same way any spirit forms anywhere.”

 

“How  _ does  _ that work?” Alt Max asked.

 

“I’ll explain later, it’s super weird,” Isabel told him.

 

“How do you still not know-” Alt Isaac was cut off by a piece of toast Ed threw at his face.

 

“People who wear trench coats don’t get to make fun of other people,” Ed told him. As he fumed,  jam dripped down alt Isaac’s face.

 

“Children,” Spender said. “Please.”

 

“Adults,” Max replied. “Please.”

 

“I ask that you be  _ please _ civil with one another while we try to work this out.” Mr. Spender continued pointedly.

 

“This whole dimensions thing is giving me a headache.” Alt Ed muttered. “Too weird.”

 

“You and me both buddy,” Ed said.

 

“Are we really gonna get home?” Alt Izzy asked. “Are we gonna be stuck here?”

 

“Of course you’re going home!” Mr. Spender told her. “Dr. Zarei and I will do everything in our power to return you home safely, I promise.”

 

“We’ll certainly do our best.” Mina agreed.


End file.
